Five Times Jeff Held Annie's Hand
by hso104
Summary: This will be a five chapter story.  The title gives it away, I think.  Friendship eventually leading to more.
1. Chapter 1

April 2011

"Yeah, of course I'm glad he came to visit. I mean, I haven't seen him in over a year. It's just strange that he's stayed this long. When he said he was coming, I didn't think he'd stay a whole week."

Jeff and Annie walked down the fairly deserted corridor leading to the study room. Everyone else had left after the study session, but Annie had forgotten her keys. Since the notes she had promised to lend Jeff from a class she had taken last semester were locked in her car, he was accompanying her to retrieve them.

"Well, he _is_ your dad, Annie. He probably missed you." Jeff stared at the screen of his cell phone as they walked, occasionally pressing buttons. "Besides, didn't you say he had some sort of business in Denver he had to take care of? Maybe it's just taking longer than he thought it would."

"I guess you're right," Annie replied as they reached the glass doors to the study room. She opened the one on the left and walked in, Jeff one step behind. She fumbled along the wall for the light switch and said "I know I shouldn't complain…"

Annie's voice trailed off as the fluorescent lights illuminated the room. It took Jeff a moment to realize that Annie had stopped chattering and look up from his cell phone display.

"Oh. My. God," were the only words Jeff could muster when the power of speech returned to him.

"Honey, I can explain…"

"Dad! Britta…?"

"Um, hi," Britta's face turned crimson as she tried to surreptitiously return her shirt to her body.

"What the…what…I…" Annie's voice became increasingly high pitched as she struggled to create intelligible communication. Jeff's jaw hung wide until he realized that only dogs would be able to hear Annie soon.

"Annie, Annie, take a breath," Jeff laid a hand on his petite friend's shoulder. "I'm sure there is a reasonable and valid explanation as to why one of your best friends is lying on our study room table with your father. " Jeff smirked at Britta. "And I, for one, cannot wait to hear it."

Britta glared at Jeff as her feet landed on the floor. Annie's father moved a little slower, but he climbed down off the table as well.

"You're supposed to be in Denver!" Annie yelled at her father.

Jeff whispered to Britta "You know I'm going to call you Denver for the rest of your life now, right?"

"Shut up, pervert," She whispered back.

"I know, I know," Annie's father began. "And I shouldn't have lied to you. Honey, it's just that when I came here to visit you, I never expected to meet someone that I found so attractive," his eyes wandered to Britta and Annie gave a disgusted exhale. "Ever since your mother and I split, it's been difficult for me to even talk to a woman, and Britta was just so easy…"

"I'll say," Annie interrupted.

"Hey!" Britta said offended.

"Seriously? Seriously, you're going to try to defend yourself?" Annie asked with her hands on her hips as she glared angrily at her blonde friend.

Britta looked down at her bare feet.

"I can't, I just can't handle this right now," Annie turned and began walking quickly out of the study room and down the hall toward the exit.

Jeff continued to stare at the two individuals in front of him. "I'm going to go try to calm her down," Jeff gestured behind him. Before he walked out of the study room door, he turned and looked at Britta.

"You really like that table, don't you?" he said with a smile. Britta hurled her shoe at him.

"Annie, Annie, slow down. Where are you even going?" Jeff jogged to catch up with his friend in the parking lot of the library.

"Britta? Britta? My father is sleeping with Britta." Annie continued walking at a hurried pace.

"Come on, it's not _that _bad. It's not like they're getting married or anything," Jeff responded, trying to be helpful.

Annie stopped walking abruptly and Jeff crashed into her back.

"OH MY GOD. What if they get married? Britta would be my..." Annie began gesturing wildly. "I could be walking towards the stage, listening to Pomp and Circumstance with my STEP-MOTHER on my heels. Oh God…what does a stroke feel like? A heart attack?"

Jeff grabbed both of Annie's hands in his and held on.  
"Annie calm down. Britta is not going to be your step-mom. Your dad's just sewing a few wild oats and Britta…has a field she likes to utilize with some strange choices at times."

Annie cocked her head at him, and he said "Your present company excluded."

Annie took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.

"Just promise me one thing," she said, her voice returning to a normal volume and timbre.

"Anything," Jeff said, glad that his friend was regaining her composures.

"Under no circumstances will you ever sleep with my mother."

Jeff chuckled and said "I promise."

Annie resumed her breathing exercises while Jeff continued to hold both of her hands.

"Wait…is your mom hot?"

Annie dropped his hands and said "I hate you" as Jeff laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders.


	2. Chapter 2

July 2011

The study group gathered at The Red Door/L Street to celebrate Britta's birthday. Shirley, Britta and Troy sat around a table in the back playing quarters. Shirley was only drinking water, but she was giggling like she was on her fifth whiskey.

"You know, this is part of why I came to college," she said as she bounced a quarter off the table, missing the shot glass by a foot. "I'm so glad Andre agreed to stay home with the kids tonight." Britta and Troy smiled sloppily at her. Unlike Shirley, they were drinking. Heavily.

"Where did Abed and Pierce go?" Troy asked leaning his cheek on Britta's shoulder. "They should be here playing with us," he whined.

"They're over there playing Asteroids or some other lame-ass game. And where are Jeff and Annie with our drinks? I'm empty over here," Britta shouted in the general direction of the bar. "Can you believe I'm thirty?" Britta dropped her head until it hit the table. A muffled ouch came from underneath her blonde waves.

Annie and Jeff sat at the bar waiting for the tender to make his way around to them. Jeff had agreed to be the second DD for the evening, and he was beginning to regret that decision. Watching his friends deteriorate into drunken slobs was almost as bad as watching them sink into alcohol induced depression like on Troy's birthday. He sat, elbow on bar with head resting on hand, playing a game on his cell phone, one-handed. A deep voice brought him out of his Angry Birds trance.

"Caroline, I'm telling you, you've never felt anything like it. The sound of the engine, the vibration between your thighs." The dark haired guy leaned towards Annie. "I could take you for a ride if you want."

As the stranger's gaze dropped down to her chest, Annie instinctively edged closer to Jeff, something she had a tendency to do when she was scared or uncomfortable.

"No, no, thanks, but I'm here for my friend's birthday. I can't ditch her," Annie replied in her own voice. She had decided she was not going to play the role of Caroline Decker this evening, but when the gorgeous but dangerous-looking guy sitting next to her had asked for her name, she decided to give him her alternate identity.

"Oh we won't be gone long. Just around the block. Everyone should sit on a Harley at least once." He grabbed her hand and began to rise.

Jeff stood and walked the short distance to Annie's other side. He noticed that the douche bag hadn't dropped Annie's hand. Jeff smiled at him, and noted with not an inconsequential amount of satisfaction that he was at least four inches taller than the other man.

"Hey man," Jeff said lightly, dropping his hand on a leather-encased shoulder. He squeezed tightly and the motorcycle riding idiot tried not to wince. "Going somewhere with my date?"

"Look, I didn't know she was with you. Besides we were just going out to take a look at my bike." Jeff looked down and saw that Biker-Boy still had a grip on Annie's small hand. He reached down and took it into his own.

"Well she's not interested. So sorry for your wasted time."

The guy inched closer to Jeff, considering whether or not he could win in a bar fight.

As if reading his mind, Jeff said so quietly that Annie strained to hear, "Come on. I've always wanted to be part of a real live cliché."

Deciding to cut his losses, the shorter man grabbed his helmet off the bar and started walking towards the door. As Jeff and Annie watched him leave, she was very aware that Jeff had not yet let go of her hand. She smiled slightly to herself, but knew if she made a big deal out of it that Jeff would ruin the moment by calling her "kid" or something equally insulting.

Instead, she just looked up at him. "Well, if you're my date then I guess you're buying my next drink."

Jeff released her hand and returned to his seat at the bar.

"Thanks," Annie said quietly. She didn't see his small smile as he resumed the game on his phone.


	3. Chapter 3

October 2011

"You really need to invest in a new costume," Britta said to Jeff as they walked into the cafeteria. "That cowboy get-up is so 2009."

"Guys, can't you just be grateful that I'm here at this stupid party in the first place? I passed up on a date with this red-headed waitress just to be here with you people," Jeff responded. "And I'm pretty sure she was going to get my order right." Jeff smirked and winked at his friends.

"Gross," Britta responded as Shirley said "God forgive him."

"Whatever. Shirley, will you come to the bathroom with me? I won't be able to reach the zipper on this thing." Britta hopped as best she could from one foot to the other in her fuzzy chicken costume in a mutated version of the "pee-pee" dance.

"Sure, sweetie," Shirley grabbed her purse and followed Britta to the restroom.

"Who is she supposed to be?" Jeff whispered to Troy and Abed once Shirley was out of earshot.

"We're not sure, but she is not Aunt Jemima. When Troy called her that, she hit him over the head with her purse," Abed replied as Troy rubbed the back of his head with a prehistoric-looking plastic club. He and Abed had come as Fred and Barney.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you guys," Pierce approached in his black leather outfit that he'd worn to Abed's birthday party earlier in the year.

"Well, I'm glad to see that someone else sees the value in recycling costumes," Jeff said to Pierce.

"Yeah, but I'm not The Gimp. I'm a dominatrix."

Abed cocked his head to the side and Troy guffawed. "A dominatrix is a girl." He raised his hand and pointed at Pierce. "You came as a girl."

"A dominatrix can be either male or female. It's just a term for the person who takes a dominant role in the boudoir," Pierce replied with his nose in the air, superiority oozing from his expression.

"Yeah, the dominant _chic_,_" _Jeff replied, disdain for Pierce's ignorance in his voice.

Pierce looked at each of the men in turn and said "I'm the Gimp from Pulp Fiction. If you tell anyone differently, I will end you" and stomped away.

Jeff shook his head and realized they were missing a member of their group.

"Have either of you seen Annie?"

"No, but she texted me earlier and said that she'd be late," Abed replied.

At that moment, Annie walked into the cafeteria dressed in white leggings, a white turtleneck and a beige quilted vest. Her hair was in braids twisted around her head.

"Cool. Cool, cool, cool."

Annie spotted them and walked over. "Hey guys, where's everybody else?"

"They're here. You look awesome," Troy said and Annie smiled.

"Yeah, but who are you supposed to be?" Jeff asked.

Three pairs of eyes turned on him and Jeff felt himself tense.

"I'm Princess Leia," Annie said, exasperated.

"The Empire Strikes Back version," Abed chimed in.

"Oh. I never saw it," Jeff said, believing that would assuage any offended feelings for not knowing what Annie's costume was.

"You what?" Troy shrieked, drawing stares from surrounding partygoers.

"I never saw Empire Strikes Back. Or Star Wars for that matter," Jeff said, glancing around at the gawkers.

Abed looked at Jeff for several seconds. "I don't think we can be friends anymore," he said matter-of-factly and then walked away.

Troy raised his hand to his mouth, visibly trying not to cry. "I don't even know what to say to you, man." He followed Abed in the direction of the punch.

"Wow. Those guys are serious about their Star Wars," Jeff chuckled to Annie but she just stared at him.

"I kind of hate you right now."

"Annie…" Jeff called to her retreating back.

"Guys, I know that you all really love Star Wars…" Shirley started in a sweet, placating voice.

"Because it's the best thing ever! " Troy stated. "It's like birthday cake and kickboxing and boobs."

"…But you can't stay angry at Jeff forever just because he's never seen a movie that you value so much. Look at him standing over there with the dean. He's miserable."

The group looked up to find Jeff standing next to Dean Pelton's version of Cher. He'd based his costume on her "If I Could Turn Back Time" video. The group shuddered in unison.

"Shirley's right. Anger is not the answer. We have to rectify this situation, make things right with Jeff. We have to make him watch the original Star Wars trilogy, marathon style," Abed looked at Troy and Annie. "Otherwise, Jeff may be lost to the dark side forever."

"Fine, but if he makes one comment about lame special effects, I'm sorry guys, but I will gut him like a tauntaun," Annie said.

"We all will, Annie," Abed replied staring at Jeff. "We all will."

The next evening, following a six and a half hour marathon of the original Star Wars movies, Jeff and Annie walked out of Abed's dorm into the Greendale parking lot.

"So am I forgiven?" Jeff asked Annie as they walk toward their cars.

"Depends. Did you like them?" Annie replied digging her keys out of her pocket.

"Well aside from the lame special effects…"

Annie gave a frustrated groan and walked away from Jeff towards her car. Jeff grabbed her hand and held it to keep her in place.

"I liked them. And after seeing Empire, I now see that you made an awesome Princess Leia last night.

Annie smiled up at Jeff. "Forgiven."

Jeff smirked and did his best Han Solo face. "I know."


	4. Chapter 4

December 2011

"Annie, trust me. You do not want to go in there," Britta said imploringly to her friend, pulling on her arm.

"Why? Are you sleeping with my dad in there right at this very moment?" Annie asked.

"Hey, I've apologized like a million times. I thought you'd forgiven me!" Britta said crossing her arms.

"Oh, I have. But when you…deflower…your friend's father, your friend then gains the inalienable right to antagonize you about it for life. You didn't know?" Annie smiled to let her friend know that she was just rousing her.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't 'deflower' your dad. I mean, he does have a kid, and to be honest with you, he seemed to know what he was doing…"

"Stop right there or I will cut out your tongue."

"Sorry."

"Anyway, I need to go in there. I forgot my sweater last night after the Christmas party. Besides, wasn't that the whole reason you picked me up and brought me to Jeff's apartment? To actually go into said apartment?" Annie asked.

"Well yeah, but, you know, you knocked and he didn't answer," Britta said, checking the display on her phone.

"Britta, I'm not going to rob him. I'm just going to get my cardigan. It's my favorite one."

"Yeah but…" Britta stopped when her phone beeped indicating there was a new text message. She looked at her display and then said to Annie, "You're right, go on in."

Annie turned the knob and stepped slowly into the pitch black apartment. "I can't believe Jeff left his door unlocked. If I did that at my place, I'd have a gaggle of squatting drug dealers waiting for me when I walked in."

She fumbled along the wall for the light switch and turned it on.

"SURPRISE!"

Annie jumped back, bumping into Britta as a group of people sprung out from random spots around Jeff's apartment.

Britta leaned over to Annie. "That's why I was trying to keep you from going in. I was waiting for the all- clear." Annie smiled and hugged her friend.

Shirley and Andre walked over to where Annie and Britta were standing. Shirley threw her arms around Annie and said "Happy birthday sweetie!" Andre smiled and patted Annie on the back.

"Had you figured it out? About the party?" Shirley asked.

"No! I had no idea any of you even realized it was my birthday."

"Oh sweetie, we wouldn't forget that!" Shirley reached over and grabbed Andre's hand. "You better go say hello to everybody," Shirley gestured for Annie to enter into the party further.

Annie walked over to Troy, Abed and Pierce who each had a beer. Troy leaned over and gave her a one-armed hug.

"Happy 21st girl! Go get a drink. Jeff made some kick-ass no-no juice." Abed nodded in agreement.

Pierce laid both his hands on Annie's shoulders.

"Annie, I've told you before that you're my favorite. But I don't think that I've ever properly showed you. "Annie looked frightened as Pierce briefly turned away. When he returned to facing her again, she gave a small sigh of relief when she saw he only had his keyboard. "I've written a little song for you…"

"Oh give it a rest old man," Chang stumbled up behind them, drink in hand.

"Oh! _You're_ here," Annie said, giving her best fake smile to her former Spanish teacher.

"Of course I'm here." He hiccuped. "You guys have gotta let me in your group eventually. I just don't think any of realize how Changtastic I really am."

"Put a sock in it, you wanker," Duncan strutted over, drink in hand. He dropped his arm around Annie's shoulders and looked down at her chest. "My, but doesn't the birthday girl have a lovely set of baps."

"Okay then, see you all later," Annie disentangled herself from the professor's arm. She spotted Jeff, halfway across the room leaning against the wall. Next to him, was a bucket full of ice containing what she hoped would be something alcoholic.

"Hey," she said, reaching into the bucket and pulling out a Guinness.

"Hey. Happy birthday. Nice extrication by the way. I was afraid we were all going to have to listen to Pierce's Ode to Annie."

"Heard all that, huh?"

"Yup. Want me to go punch Duncan for you?"

Annie attempted to twist the top off her beer. "Nah," she said as Jeff took the bottle from her and used an opener to pop off the lid. "He's pretty toasted."

"Nothing new there." Jeff handed the bottle back to Annie. "So were you surprised?"

"Yeah!" Annie smiled. "I was just telling Shirley that I didn't think any of you realized today was my birthday."

"Of course, we remembered. I mean, it's your birthday Annie. You're _21__st_ birthday," he added.

"Yeah I know. But my birthday's over winter break, so it's completely understandable to forget..."

"Annie," Jeff turned his body so that his shoulder was leaning against the wall and he was facing her directly. "I wouldn't forget your birthday. You're…you're my best friend." Jeff furrowed his brow with the realization of the fact.

Annie grinned brightly up at him before looking down at the bottle in her hands. "Thanks."

"You're mine too, you know," she was glancing around the room when she said it, too self-conscious to look at him. Jeff smiled.

"I guess I better go say hi to everybody else," Annie said after a moment. As she started to walk away, Jeff reached out to grasp her hand so she wouldn't leave.

"You've said hi to everyone who matters. Besides I don't like the way Starburns keeps looking over here. The Christmas trees he's carved into his face make him look even creepier," Jeff stated. He looked down at Annie. "Why don't you just stay here with me for awhile."

Annie nodded. "Okay."

She wondered if he realized he was still holding on to her hand.


End file.
